Investigation of Normalized Volume Ratios of Motor and Sensory Cortices on Magnetic Resonance Images in Parkinson's Disease Patients: An Automatic Brain Segmentation Study

Abstract

Aim: This study evaluates structural changes in the normalized volume ratios of the motor and sensory cortices in Parkinson’s patients and compares these changes with healthy individuals to assess the disease's impact on brain structure. Material and Method: The study included 55 Parkinson’s patients (14 females, 41 males) and 28 control subjects (7 females, 21 males). The volumes of the precentral gyrus, paracentral lobulus, and postcentral gyrus were calculated using the BrainSuite automated segmentation software. Regional gray matter volumes were normalized by dividing them by the intracranial volume, and these normalized values were used for comparisons. Volumetric analyses were conducted on the precentral gyrus, postcentral gyrus, and paracentral lobulus to assess their morphological changes associated with Parkinson's disease. Results: Results: In the left hemisphere, the normalized gray matter volume ratios of the postcentral gyrus were found to be lower in Parkinson’s patients (0.82%±0.09) compared to the control group (0.88%±0.09) (p<0.05). According to MANOVA analysis, significant differences were observed in the normalized gray matter volumes of the precentral gyrus (KEK=0.069, p=0.001) and postcentral gyrus (KEK=0.300, p<0.001) concerning hemisphere and age variables. Significant differences were found in the precentral gyrus (KEK=0.034, p=0.019) and paracentral lobule (KEK=0.026, p=0.041) based on gender. In terms of group differences, a significant result was found in the postcentral gyrus (KEK=0.071, p=0.001) when comparing Parkinson's disease patients and healthy controls, while no significant differences were observed in the precentral gyrus (KEK=0.011, p=0.193) and paracentral lobule (KEK=0.000, p=0.792). Conclusion: Significant structural differences were identified in the normalized gray matter volumes of Parkinson’s patients, specifically in the left postcentral gyrus, where a reduction in volume was observed compared to the control group. This study highlights the importance of normalization in accurately assessing volumetric differences and provides valuable insights into the structural changes associated with Parkinson’s disease, contributing to the existing literature.

Keywords

• Precentral gyrus
• paracentral lobulus
• postcentral gyrus
• intracranial volume
• BrainSuite

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